The last few days of our Nomad Adventure Tour took us along the southern coast of South Africa. This area is called “The Garden Route.” Once we arrived we knew why. It was beautiful, lush and amazing place to enjoy some outdoor activities. We hiked to the suspension bridge in the Tsitsikamma National Park in the morning and did a kayak trip in the afternoon. The one kilometer trail into the mountains takes you to a suspension bridge that goes over the Stone River leading to the sea. It was perfect weather to take in the view.
Our kayaking trip into the canyon also included a lilo experience. We weren’t sure what that was until we got there. Turns out, it’s a flat raft like a heavy duty pool float. We had a blast. We hiked 1 kilometer to our departure point, then kayaked 1 kilometer into the canyon and floated another kilometer. After playing around in the water we made the same trek back.
Leaving Tsitsikamma, we went to Plettenburg Bay. It is a city on the southern coast of Africa. Our highlight of this stop was a whale watching cruise. We saw many dolphins, a sea lion and a Southern Right Whale with a calf. A cool part of the cruise was the launch and docking of the boat. We climbed into the boat from the beach, then a tractor pushed us into the water. The captain started the engine and pushed the engine as hard as possible to get us afloat. Then to dock, the captain pointed the boat toward the beach, put it on full speed and ran the boat up on the beach. I have seen it done with small boats but never one holding 50 people. It was really interesting.
We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying a fresh seafood lunch and hanging out at the beach with our travels friends. From right: Natasha, Kota, Davey, Robert, Missy, Antoinette and Nicole.
Our next stop along the Garden Route was the village of Oudtshoorn. One of the activities was a visit to an ostrich farm. We learned about the animals and their importance to Africa through the years, including the feather and leather trade as well the meat. We also had a chance to feed them. That was experience I won’t forget.
Our last stop of our Nomad Adventure Tour was Paarl. It is a wine region outside of Cape Town. On our last day, we did a Cape Town Township Tour with a guide. They took us into the Langa township and showed us what daily life is for the citizens living there. It was a heart wrenching experience. Here are some photos that try to capture what we saw.
Ending our tour on a high note, we went to a vineyard in Paarl for a wine and cheese tasting. It was so much fun to go with our whole group. The wine was good but the balsamic they gave us was on a whole different level of amazing.
Our tour ended when they dropped us off at the Cape Town Airport so we could pick up our rental car. It was sad to say goodbye to all of the awesome people we met and the friends we made that we will have for the rest of our lives. Thanks for an amazing tour!
Love all the pictures from your adventures. Can’t wait for the next installment. Be safe!
Hi Don, Thanks for your message. We love hearing from you. Miss you! Missy & Robert
The ostrich picture is a classic! And we especially appreciate the portraits of the locals. Thanks for such great photos and descriptions. Are you going to put together a photo book when you return stateside?
Hi David and Cherlyne, It’s great to hear from you. We appreciate you following our blog. We will definitely be putting together a photo book of our adventure when we return. Looking forward to seeing you both in a few weeks. – Missy